them, causing them to be scourged, and charged them no more to preach in the name of Iesu, and so dyd let them departe.

Then went they away out of the Councell, reioysing that God had made them worthy to suffer such rebukes for hys name sake. But yet they neuer ceased to teach and preache of Iesus Christ, euery daye in the Temple, and in all houses that they came into. MarginaliaAct. 4. 5. 6.This is writtē in the iiij. v. and vj. of the Actes of Apostles, and for our instruction, doubt you not: for such practise is shewed in all ages. MarginaliaWrongfull prohibition ought not to stoppe the preaching of Gods word.So that hereby you may see, when men be wrongfully suspect or infamed of heresie, and so prohibited by Byshops for to preach the word of God, that they ought for no mans commaundemēt, to leaue or stop, though they do neuer purge them selues afore them: MarginaliaPopishe prelates iudges in their owne causes.for such will admitte no iust purgation many times, but iudge in their owne causes, and that as they lust, whiche me thinketh is not all comely. Therfore in the old lawe the Priestes and other iudges dyd sit together, hearyng of matters that were in controuersie.

Yet this I thinke reasonable, that a man iustly and not causeles suspect, and namely if he bee so found fauty of heresie, ought to cease from preachyng, after he is inhibited, vntill he haue made hys purgation before some iudge. MarginaliaSwiftnes of suspition reproued.But in my rude opinion, it were necessary and conueniēt, that our heades should not be ouer ready of suspition, and so inhibityng men approued, from preachyng, specially in this Session, whē þ^e people doth suspect them to do it more for loue of them selues, and maintaining of their priuate luker or honor, then to do it for loue of God, and maintenaunce of hys honor.

MarginaliaAnswere to the xxij article.
Priestes whether they ought to preach, though they be not sent.In the xxij. where you demaunde whether I beleue that it is lawfull for all Priests frely to preach the word of God or no, and that in all places, at all seasons, and to all persons, to whom they shall please, although they be not sent? I say, that Priestes are called in Scripture by two distinct words, that is to wit, Præsbyteri, & Sacerdotes. The first is to say, auncient mē, Seniors, or Elders: and by that worde or vocable, are the secular iudges or such lyke head officers, some tyme also signified, as we read in Daniel, that they were called, which defamed and wrongfully accused Susanna: but this is seldome and nothyng so customably, as those to be called præsbyteri, whiche are set to be Prelates in the Churche to guyde the same by the worde of God and hys blessed doctrine, that is, the rodde of direction, and the foundation of Christes faith. MarginaliaEpiscopi and præsbyteri, all one.And Priestes thus called præsbyteri in the primitiue Churche (what tyme were but few traditions and ordinaunces to let vs frō the straight trade or institutiō made by Christ & his Apostles, were þ^e very same & none other, but Byshops, as I shewed you in the first part of mine aunswere, by authoritie of S. Ierome.

MarginaliaPriestes haue two names in scripture, Presbyteri & Sacerdotes.Paul also recordeth the same right euidently in the first to Titus, in this forme: I left thee Titus (quoth blessed Paule) behinde me in Crete, that thou shouldest set in a due order, such thinges as lacke or be not els perfectly framed, and that thou shouldest set Priestes in euery towne, lyke as I did appoynt thee, if any bee without reproche, or blamelesse, the husband of one wife, hauyng faithfull children, not giuen to riote, or that be not vnruly, for so ought a Byshop to be. &c. MarginaliaTit. 1.These are not by woordes but of S. Paules, in þ^e epistle to Titus. MarginaliaDescrption of a true priest.Where you may see that a Priest called Presbyter, should be the same þ^t we call a byshop, whom he requireth a litle after, to be able by holesome doctrine of Gods Scripture, to exhort þ^e good to folow the same doctrine, & if any shal speake agaynst it, to reproue thē therby. MarginaliaGaynsayers of truth are to be reproued by scriptures, and not by authoritie only, or traditions of men, made in generall Councels.And marke you how he would haue a Bishop (otherwise called an auncient man, or a Priest) to make exhortation by holy Scripture, & thereby to reproue thē that shal speake against þ^e truth, & not to condemne thē by might or authoritie only, or els by traditions of men made in generall Councels. And as many as are in this wise Priestes (whiche are called cōMarginaliaWhat ministers be sent.monly Præsbyteri, otherwise Byshops) such as in the Churche are set to take cure of soule, and to bee spirituall Pastours, ought to preach freely the word of God in all places and tymes conuenient, and to whom soeuer it shal please them, if they suppose and see that their preachyng should edifie and profite.

And where as you adde this particle: Though they were not sent: I say, that all such are chosen to be preachers, & therfore sent: for of this speaketh S. Gregorye in his Pastorals, in this wise: MarginaliaGrigor. in Pastoral.Predicationis quippe officium suscipit, quisquis ad sacerdotium accedit. Who soeuer taketh priesthode vpon hym, taketh also vpō him þ^e office of preachyng. Yea your law reporteth in lyke maner Dinstinct. 43. where it is thus sayd: MarginaliaDist. 43.A Priest ought to be honest, that he may shewe honestye both in wordes and conditions. Wherfore it is sayd in the Canticles: The chekes of þ^e spouse, that is to wit, of preachers are to be compared to a turtle doue.

Where is moreouer added: Hee must also haue the gift of teachyng, because (as saith S. Ierome) innocēt cōuersation, without speach or preaching, how much it is auaylable by example geuyng, so much doth it hurte agayne by silence kepyng: for wolues must be driuen away by barkyng of dogges, and þ^e shepheardes staffe, which (as the Glose sheweth) signifieth preaching and sharpe wordes of the Priest. And this I vnderstand of such as should be Priestes elect both by God and men, in Gods Churche, whose office is to preach.

And though many of them, whiche now do minister in the Church, and are electe by Byshops, otherwise then after the maner of Christes institution, and the forme of the primitiue Church, neither do, ne can preach: MarginaliaMultitude serueth not for authoritie.yet ought not the multitude of such to be layd for an authoritie agaynst me or other that are compelled to shewe the truth and right ordinaūce of the Apostles, that was vsed afore tyme in the primitiue Church: God bryng it in agayne. Neither ought we for the negligence of Byshops, whiche haue chosen such an ignoraunt multitude (whereby the principall duety of Priestes is growen out of knowledge) when we do shew you therof, to be so enforced by a booke oth, and therfore noted as heretickes, imprisoned, and burned.

MarginaliaSacerdotes.Other be called Priestes in the new Testament by this worde Sacerdotes, that is to say (I thinke) sacrificers. And thus as Christ was called Rex & Sacerdos, kyng, and Priest: so be all true Christē men in the new Testament (as is testified Apoca. j.) by Christ, made kyngs and Priestes. The wordes in the Apoc. be thus: To Iesu Christ which hath loued vs & washed vs from our sinnes thorowe his bloud, and made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God euen his father, vnto hym be glory and rule for euer and euer. Amen. MarginaliaApoc. 1.Thus sayth S. Iohn, speakyng of all Christen people. In lyke maner, is it sayd j. Pet. ij. where he writeth vnto all Christē men: You (quoth he) be a chosen generation, a regall priesthode, an holy people. Marginalia1. Peter. 2.
Bede vpon the epistle of S. Peter.S. Bede expoundyng the same (as my remēbraunce doth serue) shall testifie playnly with me. And S. Augustine I wot well, in diuers places recordeth, that all Christē men be so called, Regale Sacerdotium. And lykewise doth Faber in hys Commentaries vpō the same place. Whosoeuer loketh vpon the treatise called Vnio dissidentium, shall finde a multitude of aūcient fathers sayinges, declaryng the same.

MarginaliaHow all men are priestes.But this may yet seme a straunge thyng and a new, that all persons should be called Priestes, and that in Scripture, whiche can not lye. Truth it is in deede, it may seeme straunge to diuers, as it did to me, and many other, when we read it first, because we neuer read ne heard of the same before: & so dyd Christes doctrine and hys Apostles seme new to hys audience, when hee hym self preached. Albeit he yet proued his doing and sayings by authoritie of þ^e law & Prophets, as is shewed in the first to þ^e Rom. where Paul reporteth: that hee was chosen apart to be a minister of the gospell that was promised tofore, by the Prophets. MarginaliaRom. 1.And our Sauiour testifieth